Management of Karst Aquifers Under Climate Change: Implications for Sustainable Use

Among several other factors, spatial and temporal variability of some basic characteristics is of primary importance in defining the vulnerability of a hydrogeological system against external/internal stresses. Response of a hydrogeological system to climatic changes is reflected in dynamics of recharge, storage and flow, which consequently alters water quality. Managing karst aquifers is more difficult compared to non-karstic aquifers, due to the fact that recharge-storage-flow mechanism is not as straightforward as in non-karstic aquifers. In this paper, management of karst aquifers, with special emphasis on climatic changes, is discussed, based on some examples from Turkish karst. It was demonstrated that well karstified rock masses, which normally do not contain significant phreatic zones, can be developed, in order to capture and store the flush waters of floods for later use.